PROFILE (October 28, 1991)

Although the New Democratic Party scored a majority victory in British Columbia’s provincial election last week, Curragh Resources will continue with its plan to develop 70% owned Stronsay, a zinc-lead deposit. Chairman Clifford Frame does not expect the NDP will repeat, in the short term, its disatrous policies that crippled the mining industry in the 1970s. “The lessons have been learned,” he told The Northern Miner.

Curragh plans to begin construction at Stronsay, 240 km northwest of Fort St. John, B.C. At full production, 250,000 tonnes of concentrate per year, the mine will employ a staff of more than 300.

Curragh has obtained a mine development certificate for the project from the British Columbia government, which agreed to provide $37-million in infrastructure.

The expenses will be paid back by Curragh and other companies that might use the facilities. The breakdown: $10 million for road and $2 million for airstrip from the provincial government; $10 million for barge and $15 million for concentrate facilities from 100% government-owned B.C. Rail. Elsewhere, Curragh opened the Westray coal mine in Nova Scotia and the Sa Dena Hes lead-zinc mine in the Yukon last month. “If you can afford developing a mine during the down cycle and justify it,” says Frame, “you’ll benefit through leverage on commodity during the up cycle.”

Born on a farm in Manitoba, Frame grew up in Trail, B.C. As a student at the University of British Columbia, he worked at Cominco Ltd.’s Trail smelter and the Sullivan mine at Kimberley in the summer. In 1956, he graduated with a B.A.Sc. degree in mining engineering.

Frame had held key positions at Denison Mines, International Nickel and Quintette Coal before he, with his associates, formed Curragh in May, 1985, which reopened the zinc-lead-silver Cyprus Anvil mine near Faro, Yukon. The Northern Miner named Frame the Mining Man of the Year in 1984 for developing the Quintette operation and in 1987 for reopening the Faro mine. Frame himself is most pleased with the Tara project (1972-75) situated on the edge of a town in County Meath, Ireland, and close to salmon fishing streams. “Nobody wanted the mine at that time,” he says. “It is now one of the most environmentally sound, regularly monitored mines.”

Frame stresses that Curragh is a proponent for protecting the environment, but he is critical of the federally initiated prepayment for mine closures. “Many of the figures used to determine the amount of payment are based on imperfect science and improper figures,” he says. “There will be a narrowing of mine ownership to the hands of a few, mostly foreign-controlled, that have large capital to finance the prepayment.”

As for junior companies, they will drift elsewhere. “Curragh is looking at properties in the U.S. and Latin America.”

Frame lives in Uxbridge with his wife, Catherine, and raises Black Angus cattle. He might return to farming if he retires from mining one day.